Box truck driver leads deputies on chase from Coweta to Atlanta

2022-05-07 00:53:18 By : Mr. Simon Sun

A box truck driver led police on a 30-minute chase that stretched from Coweta County into Atlanta, Channel 2 Action News reported.

The April 21 chase began when a Coweta deputy saw a white Penske truck allegedly run a red light on Ga. 154. The deputy attempted to stop the truck but it accelerated and merged onto I-85 North. As the truck changed lanes, items were thrown out of the window, according to Channel 2.

When a second deputy pulled in front of the truck to try to slow it down, it almost hit the deputy’s car while swerving around it.

A woman and two men got out of the truck at different points when the truck stopped.

Maria Rivera-Herrera was identified when she fell out of the truck near Flat Shoals Road. She was wanted on traffic-related warrants out of Gwinnett County, according to Channel 2.

Two men got out near Camp Creek Parkway and ran into an apartment complex. One of the men, Felix Vellezo, was arrested. Channel 2 said the other man has not been found.

The chase continued into Atlanta. After about 30 minutes, the driver, Gerardo Hernandez Morales, got out around Woodland Avenue and was arrested. The truck then rolled into a tree. Hernandez Morales was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, the news station reported.

Hernandez Morales was driving on a suspended license and had several warrants out of Gwinnett. He is facing multiple charges, including fleeing from police, reckless driving and possession of marijuana. He is being held with no bond at the Coweta County Jail.

Liset Cruz is an intern for Atlanta Now. She is a senior at the University of Georgia majoring in journalism and sociology with minors in Latinx studies and human services. She aspires to become an investigative reporter and cover politics, crime, immigration and civil rights.